The Underclass, Night and Day, 20/9

I arrive at one of Manchesters best live venues to the sound of quartet “Tigers that Talked”. This is a band who doesn't just bang out tunes in the practice room; they clearly take a lot of time preparing what can only be described as the tightest and best sounding sets I have seen in years. The band have the niche of a violin player and the sound of artists much bigger and more experienced. Sounding like the love child of “Arcade Fire” and “The Editors” the group produce truly unique and intelligent songs that make use of both traditional instruments and some more far fetched ones like shakers, clappers and a deep bongo, all of which aid in making them a true spectacle to watch.

The nights trend in bands not following the norm continued with “A boy called Doris”. A Quirky quintet who use contrasting harsh male vocals and well sung female vocals to produce some lovely music. Although the set didn't seem to flow properly from one song to the next, there is always something going on to keep the listener interested. The final two songs of the set made the entire night worth coming for with hugely addictive vocal hooks and fantastic underlying songs.

Third in the bill “Love minus zero” are a particularly inoffensive band. Sounding and looking like a well rehearsed libertines influenced indie band, and proved to be a good band to watch. This band produced songs that are a lot more involving and twisting than the hundred of other Doherty wannabes out there, and are a pleasure to watch and listen to.

Headliners “The Underclass” are a fantastic band, and are building a large and appreciative fanbase as shown by the strong and enthuisiastic crowd at tonights gig. Looking and sounding like a true Manchester band, there are clear influences from the likes of Oasis and Ian Brown. This band give a good account of themselves, showing experience in their showmenship. With sing-a-long indie tunes that could comfortably fit in the top 40 The Underclass prove themselves as one of Manchesters better bands.

Flyer, Leon, BTR @ Night and day

Tonights opening band “Flyer” appear charming and enigmatic on stage, with very strong songs which are very radio friend and would sound fantastic on record. Although the tracks themselves are not necessarily ear catching live, the band are a good package with a strong banter and energetic performances, particularly from the keyboardist.

Following shortly after are the disappointing “leon”, who despite having a lot of potential with strong vocals and a line up of very talented musicians fail to produce any songs of quality. The band rifle through a set of limp songs, the highlight of which is an amazingly talented drummer who never fails to be innovative. However, he is let down by his supporting castmembers.

From the start, “Inner Ego” set themselves up for a fall by coming onto pretentious entrance music after a long build up. These things can usually go one of two ways, either leading to a totally class act, or in tonights case leading to a dramatically underwhelming performance. The band have good ideas which should be applauded, however overall they don't amount to anything significant. As a group they could do with hitting the practice room to tighten up a bit too. However, this band do have potential and should be one to watch.

“Beat the Radar” make the long wait for the headline slot completely worth it. This is a band creating innovative and stylish music, and clearly wear their influences on their sleeves with songs reminiscent of early “Placebo” and “The Smashing Pumpkins”. The band reinvent old ideas and bring new ones to their sound to make a genuinely listenable band. They're great to watch on stage too, and as the show goes on it's clear the band loves what they do and you can't help but love it too. Catchy vocal melodies with precise backing vocals on top of angst guitar and clever drums create a package for success.

Designer Magazine is a whole 8 years old. Did good unsigned nights exist 8 years ago? Who cares, tonight shows that they do now.

To celebrate, the night opened up with a special set from That Bloke Who's In Corrie, Rupert Hill, but far from being just another soapstar turned singer Hill is a revelation. Performing a rare acoustic set he is a hidden talent, fingers crossed it won’t be long until he makes a permanent move over to music.

The acoustic niceties were quickly over and replaced with gig virgins The Drake Equation. If bands who are gigging regularly were as good as these debutants then the unsigned scene would be a much better place. Despite being static onstage, no doubt through nerves, this is a band which has songs that speak volumes. Many a catchy chorus, verses packed with riffs, and enough twists and turns in their songs to keep even the most passive listener interested. The Drake Equation are very clever without being obvious, with interesting drum beats and bass lines that take a prominent place at the front of the songs, topped with high FX guitar akin to Bloc Party, this band shows how good music should be done.

Following on from The Drake Equation, indie punk pop trio Harrington struggle to make impact with the crowd. The band’s set is Arctic Monkey's by numbers; up-tempo and catchy pop songs in the same vein, however unlike their peers, it comes across as if they are trying just that little bit too hard. It is clear though that there is potential, with some fantastic intros, fascinating rhyming couplets and ‘dance til you drop’ guitar riffs. The set has a repetitive formula and there is nothing new here, but that's not to say Harrington can't still be a good, and one day, even a great band.

Mr. Fang have no drummer, and between the three of them use bass, guitar, synth, vox, and an FX box to make a lot of noise. Listen, and listen carefully: GO AND SEE THIS BAND. Despite being plagued with horrendous sound problems, seeing their backing tracks go from silent to ear drum blowing, the band manage to give a simply incredible performance, at every single point looking like they are having the time of their lives. They never stop moving, jumping all over the place, and at one point wrestling with each other until they end up on the floor screaming into the microphone. On top of this, the music is simply epic, and sounds like nothing on the market, coming in somewhere between grindie “Hadouken!” and rockers “Reuben”. Every person at the gig during this set watches intensely and can’t take their eyes off the stage. It is a question of when, not if, this band get signed.

Headlining tonight are King Henry, another 3 piece, but on a completely different vein. Up-tempo songs which stick in your head, this band make a lot of noise for 3 people. Soundwise, they are a top-notch modern rock act, with drums and bass reminiscent of Muse topped with guitar hooks a plenty. The band show signs of quality and have a decent stage presence topping off a great all round night.

Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip - Night & Day, 25 May 2007

Opening to a relatively small crowd, Live 2 piece Lone Lady quickly make an impact with their quirky and clever music. Sounding much like a stripped down 'Biffy Clyro' with 'Cat Power' on vocals, every song has it's own unique twists and turns. This is a set up which works, as both members are extremely talented; technical drums and guitar make this a pleasure to listen to.

Quartet (plus one superfluous dancing woman) The Real Dolls are a fantastic looking live synth group, dressed all in white and lit by UV. They're a strong band, sounding somewhere between 'Wu Tang Clan' and 'Rage Against The Machine' with tight bass and good work on keys. This is a fantastic live act, that rallies the crowd and really gets them moving. You can't help but watch their neon movements, playing with a swagger that is so rarely seen on the unsigned circuit. One to watch.

Penultimate band, London 3 piece Popular Workshop, hit the stage and really give it their all. Despite weak vocals, this band has some of the best material I've heard in a long time, taking many cues from early 'Placebo', with quirky guitar riffs and interplay with the bass. A band with great songs, sure to go far.

As eleven o' clock nears, headliners Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip take to the stage. They're an odd looking pair; Dan Le Sac has giant sideburns, and is similar in looks to Har Mar Superstar. Front man Scroobius Pip is very tall, with a long bushy beard, a suit with a cap and trainers. It's weird, but it works. This is a fantastic act for so many reasons; Pips lyrics on society put Alex Turner to shame. Spitting the words into the mic at a ferocious pace with Le Sac bouncing around behind, it is clear that this duo put everything they have into this performance. Witty interludes and the bands use of props to help visualize the lyrics create an excellent live show. The set ends with “Karaoke”, seeing Pip reversion 'Faith' by George Michael and 'That boy, that girl' by 'Hadouken!', before a full length reworded version of 'Tipsy' by J Kwon.. This is the act to see this year.